Senator Sherrod Brown

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today announced the opening of the 2009 enrollment period for programs administered by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), including the Direct and Counter-cyclical Payment (DCP) program. Beginning in 2009, farmers eligible for this program may opt to receive support through the Average Crop Revenue Election (ACRE) program.

ACRE, which was authored by Brown and passed in the 2008 farm bill, allows farmers to choose a new safety-net program that protects against drops in yield or prices – critical for farmers given the uncertain and volatile farm economy.

“Ohio’s family farmers deserve protection when prices or yields drop—especially when production costs are as high as they are now,” said Brown. “I’m glad USDA chose to implement the ACRE program in a way that will give farmers the protection they deserve.”

Beginning today, eligible farmers may enroll in the Direct and Counter-cyclical Payment program online or at local USDA service centers. After enrolling for this program, producers will also be eligible for the ACRE program. The enrollment period for ACRE will begin in the spring of 2009.

As authors of the ACRE program, Senators Brown, Tom Harkin (D-IA), and Richard Durbin (D-IL) wrote to Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer. They urged him to implement the ACRE program as written and enacted to ensure farmers are protected against a downturn in crop prices. A full copy of this September 2008 letter can be found here.

Brown was instrumental in passing the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008, commonly referred to as the farm bill. This 2008 farm bill makes bold investments in agriculture and rural communities. Through the farm bill and other programs, Ohio received $3.3 billion in rural development funds over the last seven years, with funding for more than 120 rural development projects.

In July of 2008, Brown received the President’s Award from the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) for his work on the 2008 farm bill. The award is given each year to a single member of Congress who has actively worked and raised awareness on grower issues. Earlier this year, Brown also received the “Friend of Farm Bureau” Award from the Ohio Farm Bureau and the “Golden Triangle” Award from the Ohio Farmers Union. These awards are given each year to members of Congress who have supported issues important to Ohio agriculture.

Brown has held more 120 roundtables throughout the state, including a weeklong series of roundtables focused exclusively on agriculture. This past October, Brown held two hearings of the Senate Agriculture Committee on the effects of the economic crisis on rural America. Brown chaired these hearings, which were entitled “Path to Opportunity: Jobs and the Economy in Appalachia.”